Economic Development Initiatives

December 6, 2012 - City Councilor Dan Lewis, newly elected President of the City Council, has announced a series of steps to ensure that the City is doing all that it can to promote economic development and create jobs in the City of Albuquerque. “We’ve got incredible community resources in Albuquerque, and in the past I don’t think we’ve done as good a job as we could have in actively listening to them” said Councilor Lewis. “I want to make sure that the City Council proactively reaches out to the community and that we’re all working towards the same goal – bringing more jobs and opportunities to Albuquerque. We need to prioritize economic development discussions. By opening that communication line, we will be able to better understand what we can do as a City Council to ensure the success of the City of Albuquerque.”

As a part of that effort, Council President Lewis has asked the Administration to provide the Council a monthly economic development report from the Chief Administrative Officer, the Economic Development Department and/or the City Planning Department at the first Council meeting of every month beginning in January, 2013. The Council will dedicate time at the second meeting of the month to discuss economic development issues with various groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, Albuquerque Economic Development, and the University of New Mexico Bureau of Business and Economic Research. Organizations such as these, that have their fingers on the pulse of Albuquerque’s economy, will have an opportunity to present their thoughts and suggestions to the City Council about how to make Albuquerque a better and more competitive place to do business.

The Council President also asked for more frequent reports to the Council by the City’s recently created Small Business Advisory Commission. In addition to reviewing legislation from a small business perspective, the Commission also reviews City rules and regulations and makes recommendations for changes that will make it easier to do business with and in the City.

Finally, the City Council President will also be requesting presentations on the progress of large infrastructure projects that will assist in future economic development, such as the recently approved improvements to the Paseo del Norte and I-25 intersection, the redevelopment of the Central Avenue corridor, the completion of Unser Boulevard, and the potential development of Paseo del Volcan on the City’s west side.

“I know that economic development is one of the Mayor’s priorities, and I’m looking forward to working side-by-side with the Administration to help strengthen local businesses, attract new ones, and help keep Albuquerque a great place to live and work.”